Executive

Expressions
Are you
Present ?
when you
Present
 Objectives
_ Identify personal barriers to effective
presentations

_ Discuss the fundamentals of effective

executive-level presentations

_ Discuss the use of visuals and

handouts
 Content
_ This program will cover:
– Problems with presenting
– Five steps to successful presentations:
Preparation, Prevention, Practice, Presentation,
Pursuit
– Body language
– Handouts
– Audio/visual materials and equipment

Writing materials will be useful for jotting down

your thoughts as your proceed through the course
 Get the most from this program

_ Identify your personal learning goals

_ Take and review your notes

_ Be open to suggestions
 Road Map
 Determine Purpose
 Analyze Audience

 Structure Presentation

 Prepare Visuals

 Anticipate Questions

 Do Follow-Up
 Rationale for Presentations
✿ Presentation is an essential work place
activity.

✿ Presentations encourage people to make

✿ judgments about you
✿ your organization

✿ Presentations must invite audience to listen

and to understand.
 Get the most from this program
_ Identify your personal learning goals

_ Take and review your notes

_ Be open to suggestions
Worst Fear in Most Countries
Speaking before a group

“The human brain starts

working the moment you
are born, and never stops
until you stand up to speak
in public”
Sir George Jessel
 My personal goals
for this workshop are…
1. ___________________________________
_______________________________
2. ___________________________________
_______________________________
3. ___________________________________
_______________________________
 Presentations

Presentations are: The impact for me:

_ Group: small ______________
_ Group: large ______________
_ One-way ______________
_ Very structured ______________
_ Low interaction ______________
_ Limited methods ______________
 Doing it wrong…
_ Make a list of “don’ts” in executive presentations.
What have you seen others do?
 ______________________________________
 ______________________________________
 ______________________________________
 ______________________________________
 ______________________________________
 ______________________________________

What on this list that gives you personal problems?

How might you address these difficulties?
 Problems with presentations
_ Problems we may encounter with groups
when presenting:
– Large group (lack of intimacy)
– Small group (lack of formality)
– Group may not be interested
– Group may be very diverse
– Group may be hostile
– Group may not have basic knowledge

How might you deal with these?

 Five Steps to Presenting
Pursue

Presen
t
Practic
e
Preven
t
Prepar
e
 Preparation
_ Know your objective
– Will you inform, entertain, persuade?

_ Know your audience

– What do they know, need to know? What is their
motivation?

_ Know your subject

– What are your major points? What is the best way
to organize your information?
 Preparation
_ Know your objective
– What was the purpose of your last presentation?
_______________________________________

_ Know your audience

– Who was the audience? Why were they there?
_______________________________________

_ Know your subject

– How informed were you? How did you organize
the information?
_______________________________________
 A.U.D.I.E.N.C.E. Analysis
A nalyze - Who & How many?
U nderstand - Their knowledge of the subject?
D emographics - Their age, sex, politics, education?
I nterest - Why are they there?
E nvironment - Where to stand? Can all see & hear?
N eeds - What are their needs?
C ustomize - What specifics you need to address?
E xpectations - What do they expect to learn or hear?
 Preparing the Message

✿ Words should be memorable,

expressive.
✿ Use “we,” “our,” “us,” and “let’s” to build
rapport
✿ Speech notes - brief, number pages, do
not paper clip or staple
 Practice Makes Perfect
Failing to prepare is preparing to fail.

✿ Plan and rehearse until you are confident

without notes.
✿ Check timing and delivery.
✿ Ask someone you trust to critique
✿ Use a flip chart with main points if you
lack time to prepare.
Practice
 Practice.
• visualizing a positive outcome

• deep breathing, relaxation

• movement and gestures

• maintaining eye contact

• being enthusiastic
 Practice
• building a strong opening

• engaging the audience

• focusing on outcomes

• timing your delivery

• keep your sense of humor

 Practice - Visual Aids

• Preparing effective visuals

• They Should be related to

topic

• Not too distracting

 Handling Visual Aids
• Slides, overheads, PowerPoint
– check equipment in advance
– have alternative means of delivery
– do not read slides
– amplify points on slides
– keep contact with audience
– use space
– don’t underestimate your role in visual
display
 Prevention.
_ Check the facility: visit the site if you can

_ Check the room setup/lighting/sound:

will you need help?

_ Check your equipment: is everything

working? Do you know how to use it?
 Prevention.
_ Check the materials: enough copies for
everyone? Everything in order?

_ Allow plenty of time for setup: give yourself

ample room to handle the inevitable problems

_ Develop Plan B: be ready for disaster recovery

 The Presenter

_ Interpersonal impressions are based on:

– Verbal messages (what is said) 7%

– Vocal messages (how it is said) 38%
– Nonverbal messages (face/gestures) 55%

– First impressions 100%

 Presentation
_ Explain
– Use verbal and non-verbal means to make your
presentation

_ Support
– Use A/V materials, charts, graphs, handouts and
to add substance

_ Demonstrate
– Hands-on examples can bring home important
points
 Presentation
_ Explain
– Describe your last two presentations. How were
they delivered? Where did you stand? What kind
of non-verbal support did you use?

_ Support
– What kinds of A/V materials did you use? Did they
assist or get in the way?

_ Demonstrate
– Could hands-on examples have been appropriate?
 Presentation
_ Reinforce your message: have audience fill
out a form, answer a survey, complete a questionnaire

_ Gauge the impact: do they look interested?

Bored?

_ Fine tune in real time: what kind of questions do

they have?
What Makes A Good Presenter
• Listen actively

• Get involved

• Ask meaningful questions

What Makes A Good Presenter
• Eye contact with
Audience

• Body language

• Zest & Voice

 “Body language”
_ Face: your expressions, head tilt, nodding

_ Figure: your demeanor, dress, physical appearance

_ Focus: if, when, how long you make eye contact

_ Territory: how you use space; e.g., how close you

stand next to someone

_ Time: how you use time; e.g., the pace of your

speech, walk
 After the Presentation,
Reflect…….
• What was effective?
• What did not work?
• How could I improve my presentation
skills?
• Was the audience engaged?
 Are You Present?

when
You Present
 Pursuit
_ Follow up the message if necessary

_ Address questions/concerns

_ Ensure needed action occurs

 Developing handouts
_ Less is more: excess paper isn’t read
_ Target major areas and ideas
_ Follow your organizational outline
_ Provide references to other resources
_ Include samples of complicated forms
_ Use branding and logos if you have
them to identify your materials
 Using handouts
_ Consider best distribution time for your
purpose: beginning, during, after
_ Do a walk through of your presentation
with the handouts
_ Encourage questions
_ Reference handouts on PowerPoint
slides to help orient your audience
 Developing visuals
_ KISS: keep it short, simple
_ Illustrate major points only
_ Beware of complicated charts/graphs
_ Size does matter; bigger is better
_ Consider room size and configuration:
can everyone see?
 Using PowerPoint: yes…
_ Basic bullets
_ Short sentences
_ Few fonts
_ Facile over fancy
_ Match template to tone
_ Allow reading of long quotes
 Using PowerPoint: no…
_ Generic, overdone clip art
_ Default backgrounds
_ Bells, whistles, drums, gongs
_ Excess transition
_ Excess animation
_ More than six bullets
 Using visuals
_ Talk to the audience
_ Stand to the side
_ Write LARGE
_ Duplicate complicated visuals (charts
and graphs) in your handout
_ Post as appropriate for reinforcement
 Summary…
_ Make no assumptions about your
audience
_ Be prepared
_ Remember your objective
_ Vary your tone and timing
_ Monitor audience fatigue
_ Maintain a positive attitude
 Craft Message in Advance
✿ Brainstorm, reduce material to key
words or points, reinforce key topics
with stories, analogies, anecdotes,
visual aids.
✿ Introduction, body, conclusion
✿ Simple, brief, designed for the ear
✿ Think of the audience - instant
understanding
✿ Avoid acronyms, jargon, big words.
 More Crafting the Message
✿ Don’t overuse statistics
✿ Words should be memorable,
expressive.
✿ Use “we,” “our,” “us,” and “let’s”
to build rapport
✿ Avoid memorizing the speech in
advance or reading from notes.
✿ Speech notes - brief, number
pages, do not paper clip or staple
 Practice Makes Perfect
✿ Plan and rehearse until you are
confident without notes.
✿ Check timing and delivery.
✿ Ask someone you trust to critique
✿ Use a flip chart with main points if
you lack time to prepare.
✿ If you fail to prepare, you prepare
to fail.
 Handle Your Nerves
✿ Expect to be nervous -
it means you care.
✿ Breathe deeply before beginning to
speak.
✿ Use visualization
✿ Remember that the audience
wants you to do well.
 Fielding Questions
✿ When faced with a question - there is
no right or wrong answer -
– State up front -no definitive answer.
– Do not accept ownership for any one
point of view. Serve as a facilitator.
✿ When confronted with “know- it-alls”
– Be prepared. Know your facts. Relate
your experience. No one can refute it.
Acknowledge disagreement and why.
If their information is contradictory,
share your research, understanding.
 More Fielding Questions
✿ When faced with a comment having nothing to do
with your objective-
– Give brief response, redirect to topic.
– Acknowledge the questions and refer it to
another time
✿ When asked a question covered in detail in your
talk -
– “Let us revisit this point briefly.” Tact
– Give brief response, offer more info later
 Still More Fielding Questions
✿ When asked a question for which you
don’t know the answer-
– Be honest. Offer to find the answer and
get back to the questioner
– Use the audience. “Who might have a
response to this question?”
✿ When you’re the bearer of bad news
– Focus on the ultimate good - discuss
decision - state pros and cons ending
with the pros - empathy
 More on Fielding
✿ When asked a questions that requires you
to state a position with which you do not
agree or which is politically incorrect-
– “My personal opinion is not an issue
here.”
– Acknowledge differing views and
reiterate that chosen path is considered
best for the organization as a whole.
Outline decision-making process
 Fielding Questions
✿ When you must deal with the “funnel,”
the person who serves as the group’s
mouthpiece -
– Ask for clarification from others before
responding to questions.
– Ask participants to write down their
questions.
– Ask questions of particular people.
 Still More Fielding…
✿ When a situation appears to be getting
out of control-
– “It seems we have a lot of interest in this
subject. Let’s refocus our attention on...”
– Pause, stand quietly, and continue when
you have everyone’s attention. Silence is a
powerful attention getting.
– Ask that everyone take a break.
 Gracefully Ending Q&A Sessions
✿ Set a time limit and stick to it. Use a
time-keeper.
✿ Alert the audience when time is
running out.
✿ Ask those still interested in talking to
remain after the meeting.
✿ Thank everyone for their participation.
 Nonverbal Communication
✿ The best facial expression - 60%
communication in presentation is
nonverbal - audience makes up their
minds after 20 seconds.
✿ Strive for “open” facial expression-
genuine smile - elevated eyebrows.
✿ Proper eye contact - Your mouth should
never be moving when your eyes are
away from the audience .
 Vocal and Visual Signals
✿ Body language - get from behind
podium, use natural gestures, avoid
crossing arms in front of you or
holding hands behind your back.
✿ Voice - pace- speaking too quickly
tires listeners, speaking too slowly
loses their attention
✿ Your voice - range - use different
tones- higher for excitement, lower
for seriousness
 More on Voice
✿ Tone - Remember - for most
presentations, conversational tone is
best.
✿ When using a microphone attached to
a podium, aim it at your throat or chin
and stand four to six inches from it.
Be sure to check the microphone and
other equipment before your
presentation.
 Creating Comfort
✿ Greet participants as they enter.
✿ If someone introduces you, thank them. If
not briefly introduce yourself
✿ Remember learning styles
✿ Welcome questions, during or after
✿ Use “markers” - three points, two
questions, etc. “to sum things up”
✿ Never run overtime
 Make Yourself Comfortable
✿ Seek out friendly faces to focus on but
look around at various audience
members
✿ Wear comfortable clothing, especially
shoes.
✿ Have a glass of water handy
✿ If you make a mistake, admit it, joke
about it and move on.
 Use Presentation Aids Carefully
✿ Use presentation technology to enhance a
solid presentation, not make up for a weak
one.
✿ Use easily understood graphics
✿ If your visual repeats what you said, put it
up when you finish speaking.
✿ Use borders and color.
✿ Use upper and lower case letters
✿ Use large print - at least 24 point type
 Handouts
✿ Use to keep people from taking notes
instead of listening
✿ Let audience members know that you
have a handout with the highlights of
your presentation. Pass it out after you
speak so you don’t have to compete
with paper rustling during your
presentation.
 Handling Hot Questions
✿ Anticipate questions. Include answers in
your presentation.
✿ Avoid becoming defensive.
✿ “Why are you protecting incompetent
teachers?”
✿ Pause, answer the question, eliminate
the negative, get rid of the accusation,
and never repeat the buzzword.
 Continuous Improvement
✿ Videotape yourself or ask a trusted
friend for feedback.
✿ Keep a list of goals for yourself. Select
one for each presentation.
✿ Inspiration comes to those who beckon
to her. (Flanagan, 1995)
 Conclusion
 Remember journey (Purpose, Direction, Goal)
 Ask yourself ' W ' question
 Know your audience
 Topic - research & retrieve
 Plan – prepare, prevent, practice, present, pursue
 Organize
Check venue, environment, cue
cards, handouts & seating.
Become familiar with aids

Practice, practice, practice, more practice and